01/31/2012

Comparative Public Administration In Africa

Comparative Public
Administration in Africa

This study aims to know the
contributions of comparative public administration to
public governance, management of public services, and national development
in the African region. In the same manner, this study targets to assess the
importance of these contributions to the
African people; so as to evaluate how does a comparative research steer
public administration out of its partiality and provincial mode of logical
thinking into a more modern and globalized perspective. In addition, to
examine as well the connection of the development of the administration
concepts on the political practice in Africa, especially during the time
that
post-colonialism first occurred in the country. Furthermore, this paper
also has the objectives to recommend some strategies in order to improve the
political condition in the African region. In comparison,
public administration practices differ from one country to another. Many
countries in the world have different past political performances,
administrative improvements and developing
reform strategies in the government. The administrative knowledge over the
people can be based through cross-cultural comparative analysis, this provides
a wider point of view for the practitioners of public management and better
understanding of the larger discourse of public governance. Likewise,
comparison provides the political practitioner significant perceptions on the
government policies and actions that are effective for the local, national,
and global levels.

Aime Cessaire said, “there
are two ways of losing oneself: through fragmentation in the particular or
dilution in the universal.” According to her, the challenge in "Africanizing
Public Administration" is one of "How do we understand the particularity of
`African' without losing sense of universal shared knowledge, experience and
history." Besides, the people must refrain from suggesting similarities and
agreements on the bases of
cultural value and behavior of diversified people across the world.
Naturally, people with different races, cultures and
political beliefs and practices differ as well with their political
influences and policies. If
African government and its people believe in common principles; and both
practice them in their daily lives, it is because the government and the
people are being oriented that way . The of public administration and
governance in the Africa these days are being patterned from the various
colonial invasions that took place in the continent in the past. The
continent has its own traditional politics, and administrative models and
efforts that even until now are practiced by the people in the authority.
Many debates have been going on about the endless corruption, abuses on the
human rights of the people, unjust and poor governance of political leaders
in the region. Many
African leaders in the past, were being expected to at least do their share
of improving the poor political condition in the continent; however, it
always resulted to failure due to lack of financial support, unification
and consensus among the government agencies from all regions. As a matter of
fact,
political challenges have been faced by African leaders since 21st
century. There have been many demands that always led to corruptions and
unjust political practices of the political leaders in the government. (http://www.dpmf.org/images/africanising-geraldine.html
)

A research in 1995 entitled
"Toward a Theory of Afrocentric Organizations" found out that “the Afrocentric
organization is based on the philosophical orientation of harmony, spirituality
and humanistic/ people-oriented principles with basic administration elements
that include support of all members, communal management style and prioritizing
people over profit.” And so, in order to restore African influence in public
administration and public sector leadership development in the continent, at the
same time to share the possible remedies to improve people's
understanding on the serious problems and issues that the African public have
been experiencing with their political leaders. (http://www.dpmf.org/images/africanising-geraldine.html
)

In view thereof, this study
highly recommends that the political structure of African government must be
changed. Foremost, the human rights law must be implemented seriously and
strictly; so that ordinary people will become aware about their important role
in the African society and in the government. The people's right must be given
an utmost protection in order to improve the fate of the poor communities in
the region. And, in order to achieve this objective, political leaders should
commit in an honest, equal, just, and transparent governance over the
people. The peace and order law must be constituted in order to protect the
ordinary citizens from any danger and possible merciless killings. A
tooth-for-a-tooth government laws must be implemented by the committed, sincere
and honest leader who has strong principles for true democracy. Therefore,
the African public must first choose a leader with good principles who is
brave enough to fight for justice and for the protection of human rights of
the people. (http://www.dpmf.org/images/Nigeria%27s-political-crisis-titilayo-sept-2001.html)